Manchester student guilty of terror offences

Abdullahi Ahmed Jama Farah was convicted following a trial at the Old Bailey

A cousin of sisters dubbed the "teenage terror twins" after they joined so-called Islamic State has been convicted of terrorism offences.

Abdullahi Ahmed Jama Farah, 20, created a UK "hub of communication" for like-minded extremists, from his mother's Manchester home, the Old Bailey heard.

Following a trial he was found guilty of preparing for terrorist acts.

Jama Farah, of South Grove, Manchester helped Nur Hassan, 19, also of the city, get to Syria, the jury heard.

Farah is related to Zhara and Salma Halane, who at the age of 16 left their home in Chorlton in Manchester, in June 2014, and are believed to have married IS fighters.

'Important role'

Prosecutor Gareth Patterson told jurors it was clear Farah supported so-called IS from what was found on his computer and mobile phone.

As well as helping Nur Hassan travel to Syria, the court heard he had been in contact with friends abroad via messaging service Whatsapp and social media.

The jury convicted Farah, who is of Somali origin, for helping Hassan and for his communication with Khalil Raoufi who was killed in combat.

Evidence of Farah's 'hub of communication'

• Photographs of a snapshot of life under Islamic State had been sent from Raoufi via WhatsApp and Twitter

• Images were sent from in and around Al-Ittihad University near the Syrian city of Raqqah, which had been turned into a training camp

• One photograph showed a joke equation on the "square root of jihad" detailed on a university white board with "well done" written on it

• An image was sent of Raoufi and friends posing with Ifthekar Jaman, from Portsmouth, who was also killed in fighting

• A YouTube clip sent by Raoufi interviewing with an injured friend in a Syrian hospital after he was shot in the foot during combat

Farah was in contact with close friends Khalil Raoufi, Raphael Hostey, and Mohammed Javeed who headed from north west England to Syria on 6 October 2013, to join IS, the court heard.

Raoufi, who was also known as Abu Layth, was killed in February 2104 , Hostey or Al Qaqa, was shot in the foot.

Suicide attack

Javeed, nicknamed Prinny, ended up in Iraq, where he blew himself up in a suicide attack.

The friends subsequently discussed "doing a prinny", the court heard.

Farah's cousin Ahmed Ibrahim Halane, from Manchester, went to Somalia in September 2013, where he is thought to have joined the terrorist group al-Shabaab.

Halane, brother of the "terror twins", is currently in Copenhagen, banned from returning to the UK.

During the trial, Farah denied any wrongdoing.

His defence claimed he was an over-excited teenager in contact with his friends and passing on phone numbers, concerned for their welfare.

Det Ch Supt Tony Mole, head of the North West Counter Terrorism Unit, said: "Although he may not have been there committing these acts himself, his actions helped facilitate what they [his friends] were doing and I hope his conviction will send a message to all those who are even considering offering a helping hand to terrorists."